04/26/2010

"I'm not fearful that change will happen in America. It will happen. ... I don't know what will happen with same-sex marriage, but I'm not going to be discouraged if we lose some of those battles," he said, noting that for "98 percent" of people, traditional marriage will remain relevant.

"It's going to be difficult in this culture and the way the demographics are going right now," he went on. "You look at the under-35 age group. I think it's splitting 60-40 support for same-sex marriage. There's a lot of people in the U.S. [who] basically come to the conclusion that this is something between two adults. I will continue to defend traditional marriage, but I'm not going to demean human beings for the process."
Dobson's Successor Gives Mega-Ministry New Focus [AOL News]

Sounds nicer that Dobson, right? And it is, rhetorically. But here's the thing: In many ways, Jim Daly's new tone is more dangerous than his predecessor's, since it masks the hurtful activism in ways that Jimmy D. never did.

**NOTE: Since we first posted this list, FOtF went in and removed some of the source links! (particularly those pertaining to Jim Dobson). If you really care, you can put the links into Archive.org and view them that way

• "Focus on the Family is committed to the thousands of individuals who are ensnared by homosexuality but are desperately seeking a way out." [Source]

• "Look beyond the "gay" or "lesbian" label to the whole person inside. Rather than seeing your friend as a homosexual, think of him or her as a person with a homosexual problem." [Source]

• "Truly, the homosexual movement has become a steamroller in nations around the world." [Source]

• "Any nation that mocks the laws of God will ultimately fail. It is inevitable. And each of us is either part of the problem or a part of the solution." [Source]

• "The best prevention of gender confusion remains a strong home life. Homosexuality is much less likely to occur in the context of a loving home where parents are reasonably well-adjusted sexually themselves. I don't think it is necessary to react with paranoia even in this aberrant culture. If parents provide a healthy, stable home life and do not interfere with the child's appropriate sex role, homosexuality is highly unlikely to occur." [Source]

• "To those of you who are parents, I say, "Be aware!" Your children are being inundated with inaccurate — but enticing — messages about homosexuality. Television, movies, music and an increasing number of public schools constantly reinforce the idea that "gay is good." Monitor the influences your children are receiving, and address the subject of homosexuality directly with them." [Source]

• "Sexual orientation is complex because it develops over time. We are born with the potential to have a healthy sexual orientation — towards the other sex — but because of sin, our sexual orientation may not develop as God intended. This is where we need God's power for healing and change." [Source]

• "Finally, if homosexuality were genetically transmitted, it would be inevitable, immutable, irresistible, and untreatable. Fortunately, it is not. Prevention is effective. Change is possible. Hope is available. And Christ is in the business of healing. Here again, gay and lesbian organizations and the media have convinced the public that being homosexual is as predetermined as one's race and that nothing can be done about it. That is simply not true. There are eight hundred known former gay and lesbian individuals today who have escaped from the homosexual lifestyle and found wholeness in their newfound heterosexuality." [Source]

• "I head a division of Focus on the Family whose purpose is to introduce homosexuals to Jesus Christ and to offer a way out of the lifestyle that ensnares them. We also provide hope, information and support to their friends and family members. We have found that many homosexuals who seem so angry are actually desperate to escape, but have never been told that God loves them. Many are intimidated from seeking a solution to their pain." [Source]

• "In addition to the ominous feeling that something is wrong, there are a number of telltale signs that your partner might be struggling with same-sex attraction or having a homosexual affair: [FOF proceeds to list 14 "warning signs"] [Source]

• "Attempts to subjugate objective biblical truths to subjective human experiences lead men and women to accept lies. Often those having a personal interest in the promulgation of pro-gay revisionist theology twist the plain teaching of Scripture to support and justify their behavior." [Source]

• "The media, the rock music and film industries, universities, the judiciary, and now more commonly, Congress itself conspire to reposition homosexuality as just another normal lifestyle. Nothing could be further from the truth." [Source]

• "Homosexuality is a lonely and disillusioning way of life. There is a reason why this behavior has been considered morally wrong throughout most of human history." [Source]

• "Love is not enough to justify a relationship. A married man can fall deeply in love with a woman other than his wife; that will never sanctify adultery. Likewise, love between two men or women cannot justify a homosexual relationship." [Source]

There is clearly a concerted rebranding effort within FOtF, with the communications team placing a focus on creating a nicer, sweeter, less hostile Focus on the Family. But they seem to want this change in impression without actually creating any change within their own operation! This is still the group that, just two weeks ago, declared that an openly gay SCOTUS nominee is automatically a non-starter, regardless of merit and qualifications. This is still the outfit that donates hundreds of thousands whenever gay rights are up for contention at any one of our state's polls. This is still the Focus on the Family that directs readers to "ex-gay" therapies, even if they abandoned their own Love Won Out program. So while they might be making cosmetic changes, the Dobsonite fundamentals are still firmly in place. We on the side of LGBT equality buy into the "nicer, softer" myth at our own peril!